Improvement in corw-cultivators



. ZSheets---Sheet1. W. G, BARNES.

CORN-CULTIVATORS.

No. 193,912; Patented Aug. 7, 1877.

2 Sheds-Sheet 2 W. G. BARNES.

' CORN-CULTIVATOIRS. 193,912, Patented Aug; 7,1877.

IIIIIIIIHII the beam-coupling device.

WALTER G. BARNES, OF FREEPORT, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN CCRN-CULTIVATORS.

Specification. forming part of Letters Patent No. BSHEQE 2, dated August7, 1877; application filed June 19, 1877. h

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER G. BARNES, of Freeport, in thecoun tyofStephenson and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Corn-Cultivators; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, which form apart of this specification, and in which Figure l is a perspective view.Fig. 2 is a top plan. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of Fig. 4 is aside elevation of a portion of one of the beams, showing an improvedconstruction of the clamping or coupling plates used in combination withthe coupling. device represented in Fig. 3; and Fig. 5is a front or endview of the beam with the clamping-plates shown in Fig. 4, the axle andcoupling-sleeve inserted between the latter having been removed.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

My invention relates to walking-cultivators; and it consists, first, inthe construction of a spring loop or hook for hanging the beams on theends of the tongue when the implement is not in use; and second, in theconstruction and arrangement of adjustable coupling or clamping platesto be used in combination with the beams and with the coupling-sleeve,substantially as hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings, A is the tongue, B the arched axle, and O O the wheels.D D are the beams, carrying the blades or shovels a, which may be of anysuitable construction, and having handles 1), united by rods 0 0,adjustable by means of the clamp-piece d in such a manner that theirdistance from each other may be easily regulated.

Beams D are hinged upon the axle B (one on each side of its arch) insuch a manner as to have not only an up-and-down, but also a freelateral motion. This I accomplish by means of the coupling andcouplingplates, to be hereinafter described.

When the cultivator is not in use, or in going to and from the field,the hinged beams D'D are turned up, and hung upon hooks i z,

, which are bracketed tothe sidesof the tongue (so that the shovels a,will be lifted out of and above the ground) by means of the springloopsG. Each of these consists of a short cross-piece, k, bolted to the beam,and having two parallel tubular slots, l Z. In these. slots work theparallel arms of a loop or bail, m, which are prevented from coming outof the tubular slots or recesses into which they areinserted by nuts n.Coiled around each arm of the loop or bail m is a spring, 0, the ends ofwhich will, therefore, impinge upon the piece It and the front orcross-piece of theioop, so as to force the latter out from the socketsll. After work is over, and it is desired to hang the beams upon theirrespective hooks, all that is necessary is to lift them by theirhandles 1) up vertically until the loops strike the hooks 2', which willforce the bails m back into their sockets until they slip over thehooks, and the beam will be in place. To lower them into their workingposition they are lifted a little to one side, which permits the loopsto slip off the hooks.

It is obvious that instead of having the spring-loops secured upon thebeams and the hooks on the tongue or frame, this arrangement may bereversed, and the hooks may be placed on the beams, and vice versa; andalso that instead of having the loops or bails m pass through sockets inthe piece It the two parallel arms of the loop may be secured rigidly inthis piece, and the cross-piece (which strikes against the hooks) madewith eyes, so as to slide upon these arms and work against the spring 0,in which casethe hooking of the beams is effected by forcing the slidingcrosspiece back on the arms, when it comes in contact with the hook farenough to let it slip over.

The device for coupling the beams to the axle consists of a block, E,projecting from one side of which, parallel to each other, are

' side of each beam, and having projecting ends so as to formjaws whichfit over the axle and are secured by pin or bolt f, which passesvertically through the jaw, in one of the notches or perforations in thecoupling-piece E. By this combination of the notched couplingpiece Ewith plates or casting 0 and bolt f, the distance between the two beamsmay readily be adjusted, and the beams will have sufficient lateral playto be at all times kept close to the row, even if, during the advance ofthe machine, the line of draft should change somewhat.

The second part of my invention relates to the castings or plates bywhich the beams are secured upon the coupling E. These may consist offlat strips 0, bolted to the upper and lower sides, respectively, ofeach beam, and projecting from the ends, so as to form jaws, as alreadydescribed. An improved construction is, however, represented in Figs. 4and 5, consisting of two side plates, 19 1o, bolted one to each sideofthe beam, andhaving segmental slots 9, instead of ordinary bolt-holes.Each of the plates 1) 19 has an arm or bracket, 1' r, projecting at aright angle, these two plates or brackets forming the coupling-jaw, andhaving vertical perforations for the insertion of the coupling-pin f.Plates 10 p and r r are united and strengthened by diagonal braces s s,which also serve as a cap, preventing the front end of the beam fromwearing against the axle.

The advantage of this construction is that it will take up any slack orwear in the axle or coupling by simply loosening the nuts on bolts t andtightening the nut on bolt f, which will tip or turn plates 10 p inopposite directions, bringing arms 'r 'r closer together obliquely,thereby preventing the coupling from being too loose, so that the beamsand shovels may be firmly moved laterally.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the United States 1. As an improvement in cultivators,the

combination of the hinged beams D, having spring-loops G, axle B, andtongue or frame A, having hooks i i, substantially as and for thepurpose herein shown and described.

2. In combination with the beams D and axle B, the adjustablecoupling-jaw herein described, consisting of the plates 1) p, havingsegmental slots g, projecting lips 1' r, and di agonal front caps orbraces s s, constructed and combined to operate substantially as and forthe purpose herein shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixedmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

WALTER G. BARNES.

' Witnesses:

WILLIAM BARNES, RUDoLF HEFTI.

